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Mon, 22 Jan 2018 12:21:15 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.5****New Campus Committee 2018http://berkeleycr.com/2018/01/22/new-campus-committee-2018/
Mon, 22 Jan 2018 12:17:30 +0000http://berkeleycr.com/?p=2838Santa_Ana_Mapa_de_Zonificacion.pdf Dear Berkeley Academy Parents and Families: Thank you to all of those that attended last Thursday’s meeting regarding the new and exciting things happening at Berkeley Academy this year. The *first* of our action items is to provide all of you the *public letter* sent by the Municipality of Escazu to Santa Ana regarding […]

Dear Berkeley Academy Parents and Families:
Thank you to all of those that attended last Thursday’s meeting regarding the new and exciting things happening at Berkeley Academy this year.
The *first* of our action items is to provide all of you the *public letter* sent by the Municipality of Escazu to Santa Ana regarding the deliberate hindrance of our project. The letter is attached for your review. We are certain there are some unjust and unethical elements presented in this letter. However, at this time, we believe it is a moot point. As stated in the meeting, we do not want to work against the entities presented nor do we want to build our campus in a place where we are not wanted by the surrounding community.
The *second* element of our action items agenda, on my recommendation, was to provide you insight about *our financial capacity* to fund our project. We have many offers on the table of financing our project via banking institutions and private investments. The most attractive, efficient, and viable option (Banco Improsa) is attached in a letter. Banco Improsa is a private bank that has established an incredible relationship with our school and have committed to providing us with great support in more ways than one. Banco Improsa is a professional group that continues to support Berkeley Academy. Due to confidentiality reasons, we have blurred the percentage rates as a courtesy to our Business Development Representatives at the bank. This proposal is contingent upon strict banking requirements.
The *third* element of our action items was to create a committee regarding our new campus. The purpose of this committee is to:
1) *Support* in providing holistic parent feedback regarding the different locations that Berkeley Academy has identified as a potential location for our new facilities. We will provide the voting platform for our community via Google Forms.
*This link is not yet fully complete!* However, if you would like to take an initial visit based on our discussion, here is the form to view a couple of the properties mentioned: goo.gl/forms/qaCqy9BNhLXM8oiF2
2) Provide any last minute viable options regarding properties in Santa Ana. Though we have thoroughly vetted most properties available, we will still welcome any suggestions to add to our pool by *February 1st*. Remember, we will not invest any time or capital in properties that do not have the proper licenses specifically for schools (in accordance with the “uso de suelo”), nor in properties that are in zones deemed “unbuildable” by the Plan Regulador/Zonification (attached in this email).
I look forward to communicating more about our progress on *Thursday, February 1 *to coordinate a follow-up meeting with our new committee. Though we have experienced setbacks this past year and a half, but we are ready to have a rejuvenated sense of motivation to carry this project out this year!
*GO PRIDE!*
Onward, Peter
——– Peter J. Swing *President, Head of School* *BERKELEY ACADEMY | *FOR MULTICULTURAL STUDIES www.berkeleycr.com
(506) 2203-4621 CR (506) 8582-2505 <8582%202505> CR (415) 944-9392 USA pswing@berkeleycr.com

]]>***IMPORTANT REMINDER! FIRST DAY BACK TO SCHOOL TOMORROWhttp://berkeleycr.com/2018/01/15/important-reminder-first-day-back-to-school-tomorrow/
Mon, 15 Jan 2018 20:42:32 +0000http://berkeleycr.com/?p=2837Dear Berkeley Academy Parents, Students and Families: We hope you had a safe and restful vacation! This is a friendly reminder that tomorrow, *Tuesday, January 16, 2018 at 7:45am* is our first day back to school to begin the Spring 2018 Semester. Please come in the official uniform of the day for Tuesdays – *P.E. […]

]]>Dear Berkeley Academy Parents, Students and Families:
We hope you had a safe and restful vacation! This is a friendly reminder that tomorrow, *Tuesday, January 16, 2018 at 7:45am* is our first day back to school to begin the Spring 2018 Semester. Please come in the official uniform of the day for Tuesdays – *P.E. uniforms.*
A couple of reminders this week –
*Cal Invitational Meeting – Wednesday, January 17th at 2:00pm – 2:45pm* At this meeting, all parents of students who are confirmed to attend this year’s trip should attend this informational session. Here, we will coordinate plane ticket reservations as well as rules and the trip’s agenda.
*Welcome Back Meet and Greet Thursday, January 18th at 2:00pm – 4:30pm * Greet familiar and new faces at Berkeley Academy! We have new students and families coming in this semester and we want to make them feel at home. We will also field any questions regarding our progress with our new campus project.
*Free Dress for Elementary Students (NOT Middle/High School Students) this Friday, January 19th!* We are hosting a special welcome back activity for elementary students this Friday. We will keep you all updated and send material home to better prepare for this special event!
Stay tuned for more updates and communication this week. Also, be sure that you have access to your child’s @berkeleycr.com account. If you do not, or are experiencing difficulties, please send an email to admin@berkeleycr.com with the subject “BERKELEY EMAIL ACCOUNT.”
Thanks and we look forward to having a great week!
*GO PRIDE! *
——– Peter J. Swing *President, Head of School* *BERKELEY ACADEMY | *FOR MULTICULTURAL STUDIES www.berkeleycr.com
(506) 2203-4621 CR (506) 8582-2505 <8582%202505> CR (415) 944-9392 USA pswing@berkeleycr.com

]]>Dear Parents,
My name is Julian Gonzalez, a 12th Grade Senior, and I represent Berkeley Academy Soup Kitchen (BASK), founded by 12th Grade Senior – Alessandro Poma.
BASK organizes biweekly meetings to prepare supplies (food, clothes, bottled water, etc.) to deliver them to the homeless people of San Jose. We will be organizing a “colecta” tomorrow, *Friday, October 6th*, to benefit the homeless population of San Jose who are affected by the Tropical Storm.
BASK representatives will be receiving supplies at the Berkeley Academy Auditorium *from 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon.* We will depart to San Jose to distribute clothes, prepared materials and sandwiches to the homeless.
Your support to this initiative is greatly encouraged and appreciated. If you wish to help, please bring any of the following supplies:
-Clothes that you wish to donate. *Please separate or label them with: male or female; adult or child.*
-Food (to prepare the sandwiches):
-Sandwich loaf bread (pan cuadrado) -Ham -Cheddar or “Monterrico” Cheese -Ketchup -Mustard -Mayonnaise -Coffee (ground) -Coffee cups -Sugar/cream packets -Orange juice -Napkins -Sandwich Bags -Plastic bags/brown bags to pack the sandwiches
If you wish to volunteer and accompany us to San Jose, please contact me (cel: 8425-9108) or Pedro Mora, another BASK representative (cel: 711-4239).
We hope you can join our efforts in helping our Costa Rican community in need.
Kind Regards,
Julian Gonzalez
——– Peter J. Swing *President, Head of School* *BERKELEY ACADEMY | *FOR MULTICULTURAL STUDIES www.berkeleycr.com
(506) 2203-4621 CR (506) 8582-2505 CR (415) 944-9392 USA pswing@berkeleycr.com

]]>****ELEMENTARY REMINDERS – Come to school dressed in “La Sele” Soccer Gear tomorrowhttp://berkeleycr.com/2017/09/05/elementary-reminders-come-to-school-dressed-in-la-sele-soccer-gear-tomorrow/
Tue, 05 Sep 2017 01:15:52 +0000http://berkeleycr.com/?p=2829Dear Berkeley Academy Parents, Students and Families: *What a wonderful first two weeks of school it has been!* I wanted to personally thank all parents and families for the wonderful support and kind comments we have received starting the school year. They mean a lot to us as a Berkeley Academy family and we appreciate […]

]]>Dear Berkeley Academy Parents, Students and Families:
*What a wonderful first two weeks of school it has been!* I wanted to personally thank all parents and families for the wonderful support and kind comments we have received starting the school year. They mean a lot to us as a Berkeley Academy family and we appreciate you more than words can describe.
Congratulations to Costa Rica on winning the soccer match (U.S. 0 – Costa Rica 2)! Mr. Boughton and I had to do 50 push-ups each for the loss this morning. We were very tired and the students were very happy to see Mr. Swing getting great exercise!
In the spirit of World Cup Qualifiers and because there is a match tomorrow against Mexico, we wanted *to let students come in their national soccer team gear/uniform instead of P.E. shirts and shorts*, to show support for our national team. This is totally optional, but we’ve had the majority of students make that request today! —–
I also wanted to take this opportunity to let all of you know *two important things* to have a successful academic year.
1) Your child has an @berkeleycr.com account set up for you to supervise and be in touch with, so please let your teacher know if you have any trouble accessing the platform.
*Here are some steps for you to check to see if your child’s account is active and working:*
1. Go to the URL www.gmail.com
2. Enter your child’s first initial of their first name and their last name (for example, mine is pswing for Peter Swing) together with @berkeleycr.com as their ID = pswing@berkeleycr.com. ***Note: Berkeley is spelled with three “E’s.” It is commonly misspelled as “Berkley” or “Berkely.”
3. Their default password is “Berkeley2017” – PLEASE CHANGE THIS CASE SENSITIVE PASSWORD IMMEDIATELY in the Gmail settings option.
Every student should have a functioning email account. It is an amazing organizational tool that I hope all parents can add to their electronic devices!
Also, your email password may have been affected due to maintenance and upgrading, so if it your current password doesn’t work, please try the default password above.
2) To better navigate our policies and rules at our school, it is important to thoroughly read the Parent Student Handbook. Parents are to sign and submit the last page of the handbook to ensure that all regulations are understood by both family members and students.
That’s all I have for tonight. Have a great day tomorrow!
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Vamos sele and GO PRIDE!!!
Very respectfully yours, ——– Peter J. Swing *President, Head of School* *BERKELEY ACADEMY | *FOR MULTICULTURAL STUDIES www.berkeleycr.com
(506) 2203-4621 CR (506) 8582-2505 <8582%202505> CR (415) 944-9392 USA pswing@berkeleycr.com

]]>***IMPORTANT SAFETY MESSAGE – SOLAR ECLIPSE TOMORROW AT 12 NOONhttp://berkeleycr.com/2017/08/21/important-safety-message-solar-eclipse-tomorrow-at-12-noon/
Mon, 21 Aug 2017 00:04:25 +0000http://berkeleycr.com/?p=28272017-Eclipse-Information.pdf Dear Berkeley Academy Parents, Students and Families: It was a wonderful first week back seeing familiar and new faces on our campus! We are so excited to begin this new academic year with enthusiasm and motivation. On that note, we also want to stress the general safety and well-being of all of our students. […]

Dear Berkeley Academy Parents, Students and Families:
It was a wonderful first week back seeing familiar and new faces on our campus! We are so excited to begin this new academic year with enthusiasm and motivation.
On that note, we also want to stress the general safety and well-being of all of our students.
Tomorrow, at approximately 12:04pm to 2:22pm, Costa Rica will experience a solar eclipse. This occurs when the moon is in the new moon phase and travels between the Earth and the sun. As the moon moves between the Earth and the sun, the shadow blocks all or some of the sun’s light, causing the sky to become increasingly dark.
*Looking directly at the powerful brightness of the sun can cause damage to the retina, the light-sensitive part of the eye.*
“When you look directly at the sun, the intensity of the light and the focus of the light is so great on the retina that it can cook it,” according to Dr. Christopher Quinn, president of the American Optometric Association. “If the exposure is great enough, that can and will lead to permanent reduction in vision and even blindness.”
Here are our official precautions:
Guidelines and safety tips are available on the CIENTEC Founation website , and we are asking families and caregivers to reinforce with your children the following precautions:
1. If your child is at home during the solar eclipse, keep him/her inside the house between 12:00 and 2:30 p.m. to avoid any temptation to view the eclipse without protective glasses.
2. During school hours, teachers who are not incorporating the eclipse into their lesson plans are being instructed to keep students inside during the eclipse. We will pay special attention to Lower Elementary students.
3. Reinforce with your child that looking directly at the solar eclipse without proper eye protection is unsafe and can cause serious permanent eye damage.
4. Homemade filters and standard sunglasses—even dark or polarized ones—are not sufficient to prevent eye damage. This is also true for unfiltered cameras, telescopes, binoculars and other optical devices.
5. The only safe way to directly view the partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, also known as “eclipse glasses” or handheld solar viewers that are certified and meet NASA standards.
6. While self-made pinhole projectors are popular, during the eclipse they should be used only with supervision by an adult who is knowledgeable about safety guidelines.
7. The safest way to view the eclipse is through live streaming of the eclipse on television or on NASA’s livestream “Eclipse Megacast” at: nasa.gov/feature/aug-21-eclipse-up-close-and-personal-with-nasa
8. We will be delivering two announcements to students at the beginning and end of the school day, reminding students that their focus should be on the ground or street in front of them and they should not look at the sky until they can safely view the eclipse at home on the NASA website above.
We have also attached some precautionary measures for your safety.
Thanks and please contact our administrative office if you have any concerns.
GO PRIDE!

]]>Berkeley Academy Materials List 2017-18http://berkeleycr.com/2017/08/13/berkeley-academy-materials-list-2017-18/
Sun, 13 Aug 2017 23:47:46 +0000http://berkeleycr.com/?p=2823Materials-list-Lower-elementary.pdf Materials-list-Upper-Elementary.pdf Materials-list-Middle-and-High-School.pdf Dear Berkeley Academy Parents, Students and Families: We are all excited to start the new school year soon! Attached is the official Berkeley Academy Materials List for the 2017-18 academic year. *Please ensure that your child brings these materials to be submitted to their instructors/homeroom teachers by Monday, August 21.* Please do […]

Dear Berkeley Academy Parents, Students and Families:
We are all excited to start the new school year soon! Attached is the official Berkeley Academy Materials List for the 2017-18 academic year. *Please ensure that your child brings these materials to be submitted to their instructors/homeroom teachers by Monday, August 21.*
Please do not hesitate to contact our administrative office for any questions or concerns.
Thank you!
Berkeley Academy Administration
——-
*Office of the Director of Administration* *Berkeley Academy for Multicultural Studies* www.berkeleycr.com
(506) 2203-4621 <2203%204621> CR admin@berkeleycr.com

]]>Berkeley goes to Calhttp://berkeleycr.com/2017/06/08/berkeley-goes-cal/
Thu, 08 Jun 2017 19:06:10 +0000http://berkeleycr.com/?p=2773The post Berkeley goes to Cal appeared first on .
]]>The post Berkeley goes to Cal appeared first on .
]]>Berkeley Academy Student Qualifies for National Cross Country Finalshttp://berkeleycr.com/2017/05/16/berkeley-academy-student-qualifies-for-national-cross-country-finals/
Tue, 16 May 2017 17:38:29 +0000http://berkeleycr.com/?p=2657We would like to congratulate Berkeley Academy student – Diego Esquivel (Grade 6) – for coming in first place in the national qualifier for Cross Country! Great job Diego! GO PRIDE!